A user is often interested to obtain information related to an object, while she is physically located in front of the object. For example, the user is interested to obtain information related to a consumer product (e.g., technical specification, comparable prices, user manual concerning to a refrigerator), while she is examining the refrigerator in a department store.
Systems and methods for providing the user information related to an object, according to an image of the object are known in the art. Such a system includes a mobile station, such as a cellular phone, a personal digital assistant (PDA), or a digital camera, and a server which are connected together via a wireless network. The mobile station acquires the image of the object and sends the image to the server. The server retrieves the relevant information from a database connected thereto, according to the image, and sends the relevant information to the mobile station.
Object identification methods (i.e., the identification of an object, by a processor, according to an image of the object) are also known in the art. Generally, the user captures a digital image of an object. A processor is determining values for a set of predetermined parameters of the image, such as contrast, color and the like. The processor compares the values of the parameters to a plurality of sets of values, relating to a plurality of objects, stored in a database and determines the best match.
Reference is now made to FIG. 1, which is a schematic illustration of a system generally referenced 50, for providing information related to an object, according to an image of the object, constructed and operative as known in the art. System 50 includes a cellular phone 52, a communication interface 54, an image processor 56 and a database 58. Cellular phone 52 is coupled with communication interface 54 via a network 60. Image processor 56 is coupled with communication interface 54 and with database 58. Network 60 is a cellular communication network. Database 58 includes information (e.g., technical specification, user manual) related to each of a plurality of objects (not shown), such as an object 64. Object 64 is a consumer product, such as an MP3 player (i.e., motion picture expert group layer 3 player).
Cellular phone 52 includes a camera (not shown). Cellular phone 52 acquires an image 62 of object 64, via the camera. Cellular phone 52 sends image 62 to image processor 56, via network 60. Image processor 56 identifies object 64 according to image 62, and according to the data stored in database 58. Image processor 56 retrieves the information from database 58, and sends this information to cellular phone 52 via communication interface 54.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,016,532 B2 issued to Boncyk et al., and entitled “Image Capture and Identification System and Process”, is directed to an image identification system for receiving a digital image, identifying the object in the image and transmitting a response associated with the identified object. The system includes a digital camera and a server.
A user captures an image of an object by employing the digital camera. The user transmits the captured image from the digital camera to the server via a cable or via a wireless communication network. The server identifies the object of the captured image by employing an identification algorithm. The identification algorithm includes two modules.
A first module identifies recognizable symbols such as letters, numerals, and barcodes. After identifying the recognizable symbols the server searches a database to find a match for the identified symbols. A second module decomposes the captured image into quantifiable parameters and then the server searches the database for a match for the quantifiable parameters. The server compares a match value respective of each of the first module and the second module, and chooses the best match as the identified object. The server transmits a URL associated with the identified object to the digital camera.
US Patent Application Publication No. 2005/0185060 A1 to Neven, SR., and entitled “Image Based Inquiry System for Search Engines for Mobile Telephones with Integrated Camera”, is directed to an image based inquiry system for receiving information regarding an image of an object captured by a cellular phone camera. The system includes the cellular phone equipped with a digital camera and a server. A user captures the image of the object (e.g., a street sign, an automobile, an electric product). The cellular phone transmits the captured image to the server. The server identifies the object according to the captured image. The server converts the image information into symbolic information, for example plain text. The server operates a search engine by employing the symbolic information. The server transmits to the cellular phone a list of links to database entries containing information about the object.
US Patent Application Publication No. 2005/0261990 A1 to Gocht et al., and entitled “Mobile Query System and Method Based on Visual Cues”, is directed to a query system for mobile query based on visual cues. The system includes a mobile phone equipped with a camera and a mobile query service. The camera of the mobile phone captures an image of a visual cue (e.g., text, graphics). The mobile phone sends the captured image to the mobile query service via a mobile network. The mobile query service identifies the user, according to the phone number of the mobile phone, and identifies the visual cue. The mobile query service formats a query according to the identified object and the user information. The mobile query service finds the user preferences, if they exist (i.e., if the user is registered with the mobile query service), and adds them to the query. The mobile query service sends a response related to the query, to the mobile phone. A plurality of affiliates provides a response to the mobile query service (e.g., media outlets, advertisers, retailers). The mobile query service sends the response to the mobile phone, to an Email address of the mobile phone or to both.
A report entitled “A Picture is Worth a Thousand Keywords: Image-Based Object Search on a Mobile Platform”, presented in conference on human factors in computing systems, Portland, Or, April 2005, is directed to a system for mobile web search using object appearance. The system includes a mobile phone, a remote database and a remote processor. The remote processor is coupled with the remote database. The cellular phone is coupled with the remote processor via a cellular network. The remote database includes images of a plurality of objects, and information related to the objects. A user captures a first image of an object which he intends to query.
The user captures a second image. The second image is taken from the same perspective of the first image. The second image lacks the object of interest (i.e., the second image is different from the first image by the lack of the object of interest). The user transmits the first and the second images to the remote processor via the cellular network. The remote processor compares the first image with the second image, in order to segment the object of interest (i.e., by comparing the first image with the second image, the processor finds the boundaries of the object of interest, since the object of interest is the difference between the first image and the second image). The remote processor compares the segmented object of interest with a plurality of images, of the objects stored on the remote database, and identifies the object of interest. The remote processor retrieves information related to the object of interest, from the remote database and transmits this information to the cellular phone.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,512,919 B2 issued to Ogasawara, and entitled “Electronic Shopping System Utilizing a Program Downloadable Wireless Videophone”, is directed to an electronic system which facilitates purchase transactions via a wireless videophone. The electronic shopping system includes a server and a mobile videophone. The videophone is integrally equipped with a camera. When a user, equipped with a videophone, enters a store, the user dials a number of the shopping service of that store. A shopping system application is automatically downloaded into the videophone of the user.
The user acquires an image of the barcode of a desired product. The shopping system application transmits the image of the barcode to the shopping system server. The shopping system server identifies the barcode, in the image of the barcode, employing pattern recognition. The shopping system server identifies the desired product. The shopping system server transmits to the videophone of the user, the price and the item description relating to the desired product. The shopping system enables the user to purchase the desired product through the videophone.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,595,417 B2 issued to O'Hagan et al., and entitled “Electronic Shopping System”, is directed to an electronic system for use by customers in a retail shopping environment. The electronic system includes a host computer and a portable terminal. The portable terminal is located within a retail environment and interacts with the host computer to access product information. The host computer includes a product database, a host computer communication interface and a host computer processor. The portable terminal includes a barcode scanner, a display, a terminal processor and a terminal communication interface. The portable terminal can be attached to a shopping cart.
A user enters a retail environment (e.g., a large store) and takes a shopping cart, equipped with a portable terminal. The user finds a desired product and employs the barcode scanner of the portable terminal to scan the barcode, of the desired product. The portable terminal transmits identification data related to the desired product, to the host computer, according to the barcode of the desired product. The host computer retrieves information related to the desired product from a product database (e.g., the price of the product, the availability of the product in the inventory of the store, consumer information related to the desired product, and the like). The portable terminal displays to the user, the information related to the desired product.